Daily Scoop: A Message to the Next U.S. President, A New Record for High School Grads, and More

1. As we cross election day here in the United States,
an op-ed from NGO Global Communities calls for the next group of U.S. leaders to maintain life-saving aid, which makes a huge impact while only taking up a small fraction of the overall U.S. budget. From the article:

“The fact is that the entire foreign affairs budget, of which foreign assistance and development is only a part, comprises less than 1 percent of the overall federal budget. Cutting aid would not only be ineffective in balancing the budget,
but it would do so at the cost of life-saving programs that consistently deliver results.”

2. According to
a new report from the Pew Research Center, record numbers of American students are completing high school and college. One-third of U.S. students 25-29 now have earned at least a bachelor’s degree.

The study points to the economic recession and slow jobs recovery leading more students to pursue higher education and shifted attitudes about the necessity of a college degree. Read more in this
New York Times report.

3. Africa is “leading the way for women” according to
a new post on The Women’s Blog of the Guardian. The article points to big milestones over the past year that collectively signal more progress for gender equality across the continent, including the election of Joyce Banda as president of Malawi and the
fact that the Rwandan parliament is now made up of 56% women. See a
full list of 100 women shaping the future of Africa from ARISE100.

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"Our desire to bring every good thing to our children is a force for good throughout the world. It’s what propels societies forward." —Melinda Gates

The Global Fund has helped to deliver more than 190 million bed nets to protect families from malaria.

"The world faces a clear choice. If we invest relatively small amounts, many more poor farmers will be able to feed their families." —Bill Gates, 2012 Annual Letter

"When it come to global health, Bill and I are optimists—but we're impatient optimists. Tremendous progress is being made. But there is still so much we're impatient to see done." —Melinda French Gates

In Senegal, 80% of households now have a bed net, helping the number of malaria cases there drop 50% in a single year.